Stay healthy during monsoon

In monsoon as much we enjoy the pitter-patter of raindrops, we need to take adequate precautions to stay fit this season as health woes during monsoon are plenty. With the seasonal downpour, people need to be prepared for the health concerns that the weather brings along.

Below mentioned are some common symptoms to look out for diseases during monsoons:

• Water borne infections: Fatigue, severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and pale skin.
• Mosquito borne diseases: High fever, skin rash, headache, painful eyes, loss of appetite and muscle pain.
• Viral fever: Runny nose, sore throat, muscle ache and headache.
• Precautionary measures:
• Eat right: Avoid outside food as well as junk food and gorge on fresh fruits and vegetables to boost body immunity. To get rid of germs, make sure that you properly wash leafy vegetables in salt water before cooking.
• Drink purified water: Always carry a water bottle and avoid drinking outside tap water. This will help prevent water borne diseases.
• Avoid getting drenched: Keep an umbrella or a raincoat to avoid getting drenched in rains as the cold water can easily lead to fever and cold.
• Avoid touching eyes: Refrain from touching eyes as this can lead to eye infections like dry eyes, stye, conjunctivitis or corneal ulcers.
• Wash hands frequently: Make sure that you wash hands frequently or use a sanitizer to keep hands and work desk clean. This is important as most of the infections spreads due to dirty hands.
• Wear full sleeve clothes: Wearing full sleeved clothes will help avoid mosquito bites during daylight hours.
• Use mosquito repellent: One of the most important precautionary measure is to apply mosquito repellent before leaving home for work.
• Keep surroundings clean: Cleanliness is essential especially during monsoons to avoid infections and diseases. Also, don’t let water stagnate in your surroundings to prevent mosquito breeding.
• Make house mosquito proof: Keep windows and doors closed or use mosquito nets on the windows to avoid mosquitos entering the house.
• Keep clear of damp indoors: For people suffering with breathing problems, damp walls can increase the risk during monsoons as dampness encourages fungus growth. Make sure to clear of damp walls this season

By: Dr Vinod Kumar Reddy
Consultant, Internal Medicine, Columbia Asia Hospital.